"Himeko-sensei..."
If someone resembles her even slightly, my heart still falters.
Kiana and Bronya stood frozen, staring at the feather's memory of Himeko's face.
Yet none of the feathers contained the answers they sought.
They pressed on—
Third feather. Fourth feather...
Until they reached the mountain peak, where a Taoist temple named "Foyun Pavilion" stood.
Pushing open the gate, they entered a serene courtyard—
Unaware they were being watched.
"Took you long enough."
A crimson-black figure flashed past—
Herrscher of Sentience materialized before them.
"Kiana, Bronya—long time no see. I'm back."
"Class Monitor?!" x2
The girls stared in disbelief.
Fu Hua was dead. So who—or what—stood before them?
"Class Monitor... Didn't Otto kill you?"
Kiana treaded carefully.
Senti scoffed. "Hah! That trash kill me? You heard about Schicksal and World Serpent getting wrecked, right? That was me."
"That was you?!"
Kiana's stomach dropped.
This can't be the Class Monitor I knew.
The Fu Hua she remembered would never harm innocents.
Destroying Schicksal HQ meant Valkyrie casualties.
This wasn't Fu Hua.
Couldn't be.
But confronting her now was suicide.
"Damn right! That's what he gets for ambushing me. As for World Serpent? Pfft—they bullied you! What kind of Class Monitor wouldn't avenge her students?"
She flexed her biceps proudly.
(Her flawless acting stemmed from one goal: Could she fool Kiana?
Spoiler: She'd already failed.)
"...Thanks, I guess."
Kiana played along.
"No need! C'mon—I'll show you Taixuan Mountain. Scenery's gorgeous."
Leading the way, Senti prattled on—
Until Bronya cut in:
"Everything we've seen—Lin Zhaoyu, this mountain—it's all your illusion, isn't it? Why?"
"Nope! Mountain's real. The rest? Half-truths. As for why—"
She grinned.
"I wanted you to know me better. The real me. Not that stuffy old fossil!"
"Sure. Whatever you say."
Bronya gave up arguing.
Eventually, Kiana snapped.
"You're not Fu Hua! The Class Monitor would never act like this!"
"Excuse me?! People change! Or do you prefer the boring version?!"
Senti bristled. Where'd she slip up?
Was being fun really so unbelievable?
"The Class Monitor is the Class Monitor. You're just a fake. What's your game?!"
"Ugh! Fine—if beating you up is what it takes to make you admit I'm Fu Hua, so be it!"
Make others admit I'm Fu Hua — X
Beat others until they admit I'm Fu Hua — ✓
The girls braced for combat—
Only to be overwhelmed instantly.
Even holding back, Senti toyed with them.
Then—
"Kiana. Bronya."
Fu Hua's voice echoed in their minds.
The real Fu Hua.
Relief flooded them as she explained Senti's origins.
Kiana's eyes softened. Oh. She's just a... kid.
"Alright, 'Class Monitor.' But another Fu Hua just showed up. Prove who's real!"
"Bring it! No way I'm losing to some knockoff!"
A duel of words began—
Senti boasting of the past, Fu Hua recounting the present.
In the end, Kiana chose Fu Hua.
Senti snapped.
"FINE! If you're that blind—I'll punch the truth into you!"
The mountain warped—
Bronya collapsed, leaving Kiana alone with a furious Herrscher.
BAM!
A spear swipe sent Kiana tumbling.
"Why won't you admit it?! What does she have that I don't?!"
Senti loomed over her, spear resting on her shoulder.
Kiana wiped blood from her lip, raising her guns.
"No one replaces the Class Monitor. Not even you."